I was in Lombok by the invitation of The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa by The Marriott. The property opened in November 2024, and is an all-suites resort with 60 ocean-facing rooms and villas.
Getting to Lombok is easy with Scoot’s direct flights from Singapore, a far cry from the old days of multiple connections on questionable propeller planes. The journey now takes just under three hours — about the same as a flight to Bali.
After leaving the airport, we drove north towards Lombok’s upscale resorts. The sea here is calmer, unlike the south, which is popular with surfers. The one-hour drive — free of traffic — took us past sprawling rice fields before the landscape opened up to a stunning oceanfront road with dramatic coastal views.
Fishermen stood chest-deep in the water, catching fish with their nets. On clear days, you can see Bali’s Mount Agung across the sea. This is exactly the view that Harish Nair, general manager of The Sira, arrived at when he was tasked to set up the hotel.
“I had goosebumps. I realised the huge potential that the place has, because now people are looking for locations like this, where they can be with nature and the local culture,” he said.
Like all hotels under The Luxury Collection, The Sira’s design reflects local heritage. Terracotta lotus sculptures, stained with tamarind juice, honour the site’s past as a lotus farm, while the hotel’s interior, inspired by local Sasak culture, was curated by Agnes Affandy, a protege of the late Jaya Ibrahim, known for iconic landmarks like Capella Singapore and The Legian Bali.
